Graduating Seniors Begin Pursuit Of Their 'Dreams'

June 30, 1987|by KATE MUSSELMAN '88, The Morning Call

On Saturday, June 20, the excitement and anticipation of the Souderton High School graduating seniors could be felt in the air, dense and humid though it was. It was written all over every smiling, heat-flushed face as they listened to the songs of the concert choir and the speeches of the student speakers, as well as the speeches of their principal, Dr. Daniel Waters, and members of the School Board.

Each student speaker made an impressive picture in their caps and gowns, but appearances were not the only impressive aspect. Their speeches were inspiring and well-delivered.

Duane Renner, the class president, titled his speech "Dare to Dream" and spoke about achieving dreams and goals, even though they may seem impossible.

"There are three types of dreams: short-term dreams, like the ones that come true in a couple of days or a week, like winning a game or a match. There are long-term dreams that will come true in a couple of years or many years. The third type of dream is the unreachable dream. A good example of this is having world peace. Right now this doesn't seem possible in any way, shape or form. But without long-term dreams, and unreachable dreams, you would go on day to day with nothing really to look forward to in the long run. As the saying goes, miracles never cease."

Valedictorian Patricia Hulick spoke about success and the struggle to reach your goals.

But it was salutatorian Troy Hottenstein who summed up both the speeches and the day with his closing remarks about believing in yourself.

"Believe in yourself, because confidence is the key to unlock your talents. This day belongs to us. So let's pick up our diplomas, get out of here, and have some fun."

A very emotional and touchingly stated moment came when Beth Rudder, who had been homebound with an illness all year, spoke to her classmates from the podium.

"Everyone here is very special to me. I am proud to say that I am part of the Class of '87."

Dr. Royden S. Price, superintendent of schools, also addressed the graduates and the audience, making interesting use of several of the quotes the seniors put in the yearbook. One of these quotes was from graduate Red Bishop: "The child is grown, the dream is gone." These elegiac words perhaps sum up the Class of 1987 and their graduation theme of "Dreams."

The Class of '87 capped off a monumental year at Souderton High School. This was the first year of the new administration - Waters, the principal, and Ms. Schmieg and Mr. Chubb, the new assistant principals. The new administration made a few interesting changes in the school policy, such as morning detentions, the finals schedule, and introducing the possibilility, and carrying out the reality, of a senior class trip to Florida.

Morning detentions were issued to those unable to attend the usual after- school detentions. These morning detentions ran from 7:10 to 8.

The finals schedule was split between the seniors and the underclassmen. Seniors took their finals during the regular school day of the week of June 8. Underclassmen took their finals the week of June 17 with two 90-minute sessions per day, with the day ending at 11:15 a.m.

Perhaps the most exciting change was the senior class trip to Florida. Souderton High School seniors have not had a class trip in several years. The School Board allowed the seniors to go to Florida from May 2 to 5. The seniors had a fabulous trip, with visits to Disney World, Sea World and Wet and Wild, and came back with great tans.

But it was not only the seniors who benefited from this. Next year's seniors, the class of 1988, will also be taking a class trip to Florida in April. Many thanks to the new administration for this and for a great year.

This was a year of new faces at the school. In addition to the new administrators, there were several other additions to the faculty: Mr. Hamspacher, the junior class guidance counselor, and Mrs. Barndt in the English department.

All in all, it has been a very eventful year for everyone at Souderton High School. Again, many thanks to the new administration, as well as the faculty and students, for making this a wonderful year for graduates and underclassmen alike.